she’s wonderful… yet, I find myself telling myself that I couldn’t have been as successful as she because… she must have been not as sick, she had a better education prior to onset of psychosis, etc. etc.
I wish I could be more like her. I really do.
judy
Yes , I know what your saying. I think everyone is on a spectrum of severity.
But to be fair to Elyn , she takes Clozapine, a drug that is scientifically proven ahead of all other drugs.
So she was brave in her decision to take the drug , most Sz’s flat out refuse to take the drug(and with some good reasons). So I say, who knows , she is taking one of the most potent 2nd Gen APs , and the med could be performing extraordinarily well (as it purportedly does when it works!)
But I do take your point , the level of education and functioning prior to schiz is a predictor of a positive Sz prognosis. I am not diminishing what your saying , only to say Elyn made some hard choices, choices the vast majority of the sz community are not willing to take…
she does wonders for us with sz in terms of erasing some of the stigma and prejudice of our disease. she’s someone to be very proud of…
judy
She went through a lot but I just found something about her tone that rubbed me the wrong way. It must be me.
She also stated that she doesn’t suffer from negative symptoms. I can’t even compare myself to her because it’s the negatives that hold me back.
I do also work despite sz. I don’t know for how long though. Can’t plan for the future as I could before sz. My condition makes me better and then worse again. No equal balance at all. Atm it is worse but not bad. My brain does not work. Everything is a struggle. I have sleeping problems. But I won’t give up because of this ■■■■ illness. I see my pdoc, nurse and psychologist regularly.
Most schizophrenics will never match Saks success but there are plenty of other forms of success that we all may accomplish. Use her as an example or as an inspiration or role model. She is certainly all of those things. But don’t unrealistically think that you can do what’s she done.
Her accomplishments don’t make any of us a lesser person or it doesn’t make us failures. I read her book, she has suffered as much as or more than the majority of people on this site. She worked hard at being success but luck played a large role too just as it does for many successful people in the world. But the saying that “You make your own luck” is true to describe her.
Yes, I read her book - she didn’t suffer from Negative Symptoms - I can’t relate to her.
I read Mark Vonnegut’s books too. He became a doctor as well. I can’t compare myself to anyone. With or without sz, I was never going to be a doctor. Yes, I might have finished college, but who’s to say. We can’t all be famous doctors/writers. Some of us will never be known by anyone beyond our small circle, but that’s just like any group of people. I’m just trying to stay married and function day to day. I may touch the lives of a few people around me and that’s enough for me.
Mark? Is that kurts son? I recently went on a Kurt Vonnegut reading spree…I find the beginning of his books to be more interesting and hilarious than the ends…
Yes, that’s Kurt Vonnegut’s son. He has two books that I know of and read. They were good. I couldn’t relate to everything he experienced (obviously) but some of his insights are great and he’s a pretty good writer. 
Elyn Sak’s inner world of grandiose ideas seemed curiously sterile and devoid of fantasy life and imagination. She was a highly developed person academically and quite brilliant in her studies, making it look easy.
Mark Vonnegut’s book is called "Eden Express."
My father was a great American writer, but I am nothing on that stage. I’m lucky to have someone in my stepfather, who is my benefactor at the moment, although he won’t accept this role.
She is a certified genius. I am gifted but I am still not like her by many means. I am certified genius too but she is heavyweight genius and also had financial support, like I do.
She sets the bar. As a scholar with schizophrenia and low negative symptoms, I look up to her.
But if you meet the Buddha along the road, kill him.
You wouldn’t see him along the road cuz he’s too busy meditating silently under a tree. Buddha never actually spoke after he became enlightened…all those Buddha quotes…are fabricated. Buddha taught through his actions not his words. He felt the world was summed up through non speaking and any spoken word would be unenlightened. Are you really gonna kill a mute?
Sorry I just don’t like that quote 
Refusing to speak is a nice gimmick, but a pretty stupid thing to do if you want to teach people.
So, somebody without negative symptoms can do things that people with negative can’t do due to negative symptoms. Uh… and Paris is in France.
Elyn Saks had the advantage of psychoanalysis which shaped her understanding of what mental illness is; It gave her the necessary tools to understanding her experience of sz in a positive way. It was essentially dialectic. Unfortunately, when most ppl sit before a psychiatrist it is in a patient-doctor role, and medication is king.
Sorry… but psychoanalysis is 95% BS. And I studied psychology.
That’s the whole point of enlightenment …you don’t “want” anything.
Yeah I’ve heard that. And calling it enlightened is stupid. If you want to not want anything, just die already.